


A Mere Colt

by LeesaCrakon



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 16:29:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21377110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeesaCrakon/pseuds/LeesaCrakon
Summary: When Oreius first heard of Edmund's betrayal, he wanted nothing to do with the young king. His mind was changed, however, by the horrors he saw in Jadis' camp.
Relationships: Aslan & Edmund Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie & Peter Pevensie, Edmund Pevensie and Oreius
Comments: 5
Kudos: 199





	A Mere Colt

A/N: This is really short, but I was thinking about how Oreius may have been feeling about Edmund before he met him and this came to mind.

When the Son of Adam and the two Daughters of Eve first entered the camp, Oreius' original thoughts were those of hope. They were young, children, but after having his own colt, Oreius knew that children were sometimes the most powerful and valiant of people. Peter, as Oreius had come to discover the boy's name to be, held himself with much dignity and maturity for a boy. His sisters, especially the eldest, carried themselves with grace. The youngest was especially charming, he eyes bright and excited as she looked around the camp. She reminded Oreius of his son the most out of the three. However, his spirits were dampened as the three siblings and the beavers began to explain their plight. The fourth, their brother Edmund, was not in their company. 

"He's been captured by the White Witch," Peter explained to Aslan, and Mr. Beaver rushed quickly to add. 

"He betrayed them your Excellence!" the beaver exclaimed, running to the king and queens sides. Oreius could feel his heart fall. One of Narnia's kings had betrayed his siblings to the White Witch. 

"Then he has betrayed us all," Oreius growled, stamping his hooves angrily. All he felt towards this boy he'd never met was hatred. He'd sided with the witch, their greatest enemy! Whether he was a boy or a man, he was a fool. 

"Peace, Oreius." The lion's words brought Oreius back to himself. He drew himself up, standing tall as the great lion spoke with Peter, Susan, and Lucy. They blamed themselves for the betrayal of their brother. Did they not understand that the choice was his own? No matter what their treatment towards him had been, Edmund had chosen to go to the witch. It frustrated the centaur to watch his future rulers become so discouraged. To him, there was no space for guilt. Only anger. 

When Aslan had sent him after the wolf and after Edmund, Oreius had not wanted to go. He felt no loyalty towards the traitor. And yet, something pushed him forward and after the traitorous king. He felt a pull- well, it was more like he was forcefully being dragged by the hair, but something was pulling him none the less. Even if he did not trust the youngest king, he trusted the word of Aslan. They stormed the camp. They slayed the troops the White Witch was keeping there, and Oreius soon began to search for the boy. He ran through the bodies of monsters and dodged past trees, keeping his eyes out for Edmund. 

"Please, no!" someone cried out, followed by loud sobbing. Oreius whipped his head towards the noise, seeing the young boy tied to a tree with a dwarf pressing a knife against his throat. A thin line of blood appeared on the pale, dirty skin of the boy, and something inside of Oreius snapped. He drew his sword, knocking the dwarf's feet out from under him and cutting the bonds around the boy in one foul stroke. The boy scrambled away, his arms shaking as he tried to regain his footing. Two fauns quickly took the dwarf away and Oreius turned to Edmund, his heart still alight with anger, but all malice he felt suddenly died away as his eyes rested upon his king. 

"Are...Are you going to hurt me too?" Edmund asked weakly, leaning heavily against one of the trees. His skin, once perfect and unmarked, was littered with cuts, bruises, dried blood, and dirt. He was much thinner than was healthy, and the fear in his eyes matched the way he cowered away from the centaur. He could not have been much older than Oreius' youngest colt. Oreius' heart was moved with compassion as the small boy moved towards him timidly, hunched over and small. He had his head bowed in defeat, as if he was waiting to be punished. 

"No, your majesty. I am here to return you to your siblings. They are anxiously awaiting your arrival," Oreius replied. He reached out a hand and Edmund flinched, backing away again. His eyes filled with tears and he hugged himself, trembling. As Oreius saw this small child, afraid and hurt, too scared to trust even the smallest of gestures, he berated himself for how he had thought of Edmund before. 

"They're angry at me, aren't they?" Edmund asked sorrowfully. Oreius sighed. 

"I will admit that Peter-" Edmund flinched "-is not happy with you, but I do not believe his anger is strong enough to stop him from forgiving you for what you have done," Oreius replied. Edmund's tears finally fell and he started sobbing, burying his head in his hands. Oreius bent down and gently lifted the young boy onto his back. Edmund wrapped his arms as best as he could around the centaur's human torso, burying his face in his back. 

"Let's get you home," Oreius said. "Report back to camp!" he shouted out to his troops. They rallied around him, a few of them casting surprised glances at the young boy on his back. Edmund hid his face in shame, and Oreius glared at the men. They quickly looked away, and Edmund relaxed a bit, but his knuckles were white as he gripped onto the centaur's armor. With one last look at the camp Oreius set out for the stone table, safely returning the young king where he belonged. 


End file.
